Red Sun's Zenith MTG Card


Confers repeated uses due to shuffling back into the library, ensuring a lasting game presence. Demands significant red mana investment, potentially limiting its inclusion in diverse decks. Versatile for various strategies, excels as removal or a repeatable damage source.
Red Sun's Zenith - Mirrodin Besieged
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Released2011-02-04
Set symbol
Set nameMirrodin Besieged
Set codeMBS
Number74
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred bySvetlin Velinov

Text of card

Red Sun's Zenith deals X damage to target creature or player. If a creature dealt damage this way would be put into a graveyard this turn, exile it instead. Shuffle Red Sun's Zenith into its owner's library.


Cards like Red Sun's Zenith

Red Sun’s Zenith is a unique spell in Magic: The Gathering that has parallels with other red spells but carries its distinct traits. Like Banefire, it deals X damage to any target, which can be a creature or even a player. However, what sets Red Sun’s Zenith apart is its shuffling back into the library if it’s fatal to a creature, making it a renewable resource for continuous use.

Another card that aligns closely with our themed card is Comet Storm. Both are flexible in their damage distribution, but Comet Storm offers the potential to hit multiple targets at an additional cost. While Red Sun’s Zenith excels in single-target removal, Comet Storm’s versatility can be pivotal in games with numerous threats on the board.

Moving forward, Red Sun’s Zenith stands out in the MTG landscape for its combination of direct damage and recursion, striking a balance between power and longevity. Though other comparable spells offer different advantages, the Zenith’s unique brand of removal and enduring presence ensures it shines within its category.

Banefire - MTG Card versions
Comet Storm - MTG Card versions
Banefire - MTG Card versions
Comet Storm - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Red Sun's Zenith by color, type and mana cost

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Fireball - MTG Card versions
Earthquake - MTG Card versions
Mana Clash - MTG Card versions
Detonate - MTG Card versions
Winds of Change - MTG Card versions
Gamble - MTG Card versions
Meltdown - MTG Card versions
Goblin Grenade - MTG Card versions
Tremor - MTG Card versions
Ghitu Fire - MTG Card versions
Tahngarth's Glare - MTG Card versions
Lava Burst - MTG Card versions
Overmaster - MTG Card versions
Devil's Play - MTG Card versions
Firebolt - MTG Card versions
Blaze - MTG Card versions
Crack the Earth - MTG Card versions
Meteor Shower - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: This spell returns to its owner’s library if it’s not countered or exiled, ensuring you have access to it multiple times throughout the game. This recurrent feature helps you maintain card presence on the battlefield, which can be pivotal for long-term strategy.

Resource Acceleration: Even though Red Sun’s Zenith itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, dealing with creatures or players smoothly transitions into a quicker game progression, which can be seen as an indirect form of speeding up resource domination.

Instant Speed: While Red Sun’s Zenith is a sorcery, its ability to decisively remove threats or close out the game can have a comparable impact to instant-speed spells. Careful timing when casting this sorcery can significantly shift the dynamics of the match in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Red Sun’s Zenith doesn’t have a discard requirement, players should be aware that each cast effectively removes it temporarily from the game cycle, diminishing card availability in your deck.

Specific Mana Cost: Red Sun’s Zenith necessitates a significant red mana investment. Its triple red mana cost may constrain its playability, particularly in multicolored or non-mono-red decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Red Sun’s Zenith can be mana-intensive when scaled for a powerful effect. This cost factor can be restrictive in games where mana efficiency is key to outpacing opponents.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Red Sun’s Zenith stands out for its flexibility in a variety of deck builds. It can be a game-ending bomb in burn decks or serve as repeatable removal in control strategies. Its ability to shuffle back into your library means it’s always a potent threat, no matter the stage of the game.

Combo Potential: This card can be a linchpin in combos, particularly in decks that manipulate the top of the library or that want to recur powerful spells. Pairing it with ways to increase spell damage or copy spells can turn Red Sun’s Zenith into a recurring nightmare for opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta heavy with creature-based strategies, Red Sun’s Zenith is an excellent answer to problematic creatures due to its exile clause. And in slower, grindier games, the ability to scale its damage makes it a threat that can adjust to the evolving battlefield.


How to beat

Red Sun’s Zenith is a potent burn spell in MTG that can be both a threat remover and a direct line to your opponent’s life total. Unlike some other burn spells, what makes it noteworthy is its shuffle back into the library if it deals the fatal blow to a creature, ensuring repeated uses. To counter this repetitive threat, strategic deck composition is vital. Running counterspells like Negate or Spell Pierce can intercept this spell and keep it from resolving. Graveyard manipulation with cards such as Tormod’s Crypt can exile it before it has a chance to return to the library. If Red Sun’s Zenith is being targeted at creatures, cards with indestructible or protection from red can mitigate its effect. Using versatile cards that offer multiple modes or responses can keep you one step ahead, maintaining board presence while thwarting your opponent’s Zenith-based strategy.

The key to overcoming a card with the resilience of Red Sun’s Zenith lies in anticipation and resourceful play. If you can prevent it from cycling back or protect your assets from being hit, the advantage it provides diminishes, tilting the odds in your favor during the course of the match.


BurnMana Recommendations

With Red Sun’s Zenith, MTG gameplay ascends to a strikingly tactical level. Whether it’s dominating the game by removing persistent threats or providing a powerful finisher, this card brings both heat and a recurring presence to the battlefield. Consider its numerous strategic edges, its place in your collection, and the competitive advantage it offers against creature-heavy decks. Mastering its application and countering its effect are keys to building a formidable deck. Harness this zenith’s fiery potential and keep your opponents always guessing. Dive deeper with us as we explore more tips, tactics, and strategies tailored for Magic the Gathering enthusiasts.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Red Sun's Zenith MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin Besieged, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Red Sun's Zenith and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Red Sun's Zenith has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Red Sun's Zenith card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2011-06-01 If this spell doesn’t resolve, none of its effects occur. In particular, it will go to the graveyard rather than to its owner’s library.